The Pacific Command Water Transport Company, RCASC, was a secret freight-patrol shipping unit of the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...

based at

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The unit fell under the jurisdiction of Pacific Command, the Canadian Army formation responsible for defending the Pacific Coast of Canada against Japanese attack.

History

Based at the Old Vancouver Hotel and the RCASC wharf (Vancouver) under the command of Major C.G. Matthews, the Pacific Command Water Transport Company of the

Royal Canadian Army Service Corps The Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (RCASC) was an administrative and transport corps of the Canadian Army. The Canadian Army Service Corps was established in the Non-Permanent Active Militia in 1901 and in the Permanent Active Militia in 1903. ...

was formed in 1942, utilizing fishing packers and seiners leased from local civilians for army use. The company was tasked with resupplying camps established to build a telephone line from British Columbia to

Dutch Harbor, Alaska Dutch Harbor is a harbor on Amaknak Island in Unalaska, Alaska. It was the location of the Battle of Dutch Harbor in June 1942, and was one of the few sites in the United States to be subjected to aerial bombardment by a foreign power during Worl ...

, after the

Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands (; ; ale, Unangam Tanangin,”Land of the Aleuts", possibly from Chukchi language, Chukchi ''aliat'', "island"), also called the Aleut Islands or Aleutic Islands and known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, are a cha ...

Attu and

Kiska Kiska ( ale, Qisxa, russian: Кыска) is one of the Rat Islands, a group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. It is about long and varies in width from . It is part of Aleutian Islands Wilderness and as such, special permission is required ...

were occupied by

Japanese Imperial Forces The Imperial Japanese Armed Forces (IJAF) were the combined military forces of the Japanese Empire. Formed during the Meiji Restoration in 1868,"One can date the 'restoration' of imperial rule from the edict of 3 January 1868." p. 334. they ...

. Upon completion of the communication link, the Water Transport Company was assigned with resupplying freight and personnel to remote

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

radar stations on the west coast of British Columbia, basing ships at

Coal Harbour Coal Harbour is the name for a section of Burrard Inlet lying between Vancouver's Downtown Peninsula and the Brockton Point of Stanley Park. It has also now become the name of the neighbourhood adjacent to its southern shoreline. Neighbourhoo ...

Port Alberni Port Alberni () is a city located on Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The city lies within the Alberni Valley at the head of the Alberni Inlet, Vancouver Island's longest inlet. It is the location of the head offices o ...

, and

Prince Rupert Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland, (17 December 1619 (O.S.) / 27 December (N.S.) – 29 November 1682 (O.S.)) was an English army officer, admiral, scientist and colonial governor. He first came to prominence as a Royalist cavalr ...

. The company maintained an estimated 70 vessels (including scows) in its order-of-battle, each motor vessel mounted with a twin- Lewis Gun .303 battery and

Lee–Enfield The Lee–Enfield or Enfield is a bolt-action, magazine-fed repeating rifle that served as the main firearm of the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth during the first half of the 20th century, and was the British Army's st ...

rifles for all crewmembers, usually eight other-ranks soldiers. On 6 March 1945, after the munitions freighter ''Greenhill Park'' exploded in Vancouver harbour, the MV ''General Kennedy'', MV ''General Mackenzie'', MV ''Brigadier Sutherland Brown'', and MV ''General Cotton'' (skippered by Warrant Officer 'Dutchy' Knox) rendered assistance, towing the stricken vessel to outer harbour in preparation for beaching. The company also towed targets for

Royal Canadian Artillery , colors = The guns of the RCA themselves , colors_label = Colours , march = * Slow march: "Royal Artillery Slow March" * Quick march (dismounted parades): "British Grenadiers/The ...

coastal gunnery practice. Ships in the Water Transport Company, RCASC, sailed under their own distinctive flag, a maritime blue ensign with crossed swords on the fly. The company was disbanded in 1945.

Ships

*MLC No. 42 *MV ''Anna M'' (Z49) (Skipper: G. Wilson) *MV ''Brigadier Sutherland Brown'' *MV ''Brigadier D.J. Macdonald'' *MV ''Colonel Greer'' *MV ''Colonel Holmes'' *MV ''Colonel Lawson'' *MV ''Colonel Ogilvy'' *MV ''Colonel Peters'' *MV ''Colonel Roy'' *MV ''Colonel Stuart'' *MV ''Colonel Wadmore'' *MV ''Colonel Ward'' *MV ''Colonel Robinson'' *MV ''General Anderson'' (Z27) *MV ''General Cotton'' (Z72) (Skipper: W.O. 'Dutchy' Knox) *MV ''General Hertzberg'' *MV ''General Kennedy'' *MV ''General Lake'' *MV ''General Leckie'' *MV ''General Mackenzie'' *MV ''Good Partner'' * *PPL 42 *PPL 45 *PPL 144 *RCASC No. 2 (scow) *RCASC No. 5 *RCASC No. 6 *RCASC No. 9 *RCASC No. 10 *RCASC No. 23 (range target-towing speed boat; {{convert, 24, kn, , disp=sqbr) *RCASC No. 26

Sources

* Cliff Faulknor, RCASC, ''The Unknown Service'' (unpublished), 2002 * Library and Archives Canada File No. 3225 ''War Diary of Pacific Command Water Transport Company, RCASC'', Ottawa, 1945. * Knight, Darrell ''The West Coast Privateers: a History of the Pacific Command "WATER TRANSPORT COMPANY" of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps'' (300-page manuscript, unpublished) Calgary, 2008 Military units and formations of the Canadian Army Military units and formations of Canada in World War II Military logistics units and formations of Canada Military units and formations established in 1942 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945

History

Ships

See also

Sources